Spark arrester and silencer



g- 16, 1932- A. s. WHITEHEAD 1,872,373

SPARK ARRESTER AND SILENCER Filed Sept. 23, 1929 Patented Aug. 16, 1932 ."PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR S. WHITEHEAD, SEATTLEQWASHINGTON SPARK ARRESTER AND SILENCER Application filed September 23, 1929. Serial No. 394,478.

The invention is a device that may be placed at the upperend of a stack or the like which will prevent sparks passing out of the stack and also eliminate the noise of an engine '5 or other device to which the stack may be connected. l V The object of the invention is to provide mechanical means for arresting the sparks passing out of stacks or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spark arrester which will also eliminate noise. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a spark arrester which is so constructed 15 that it will cause practically all 011 passing out of a stack upon which it may be placed to burn.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a spark arresterwhich is so constructed that it will automatically operate to increase or decrease the area of the passage therethrough as the pressure of the exhaust gases 7 increases and decreases.

And a still further object is to providea placed upon a stack or the like to arrest sparks that are passing therethrough which is of a comparatively simple and economical construction.

bodies a funnel shaped housing adapted to be'installed upon the upper end of a stack,

an inverted conical member in the funnel shaped member and spaced apart therefrom,

' .1 a plurality of movable bafiies rotatably' mounted in the outer edge of the conical memthe spark arresting apparatus therein broken away on a center line.

mounting the battles.

mechanical movable screen adapted to be WVith these ends in view the invention em- I Figure 2 is a detail showing the means for Figure 3 isa detail showing aplan view of the battles in raised or open position.

Figure 4' is a cross section through a portion of the baflies showing the bafiles in the closed position. c

Figure 5 is a detail showing. one of the smaller baflies; I I I Figure 6 is a similar viewshowing; one of the larger bafiles. y

In the drawing the device is shown as it would be made-wherein numeral 1 indicates the spark arresting apparatus, numeral 2 a stack uponwhich the spark arrester may be placed and numeral 13 the silencingchamber.

-A spark arrestingapparatus l is formed with a-funnel shaped member 4: which is provided with a circular flange 5 havinga shoulder 6 at the intersection of the flange and lower end of the funnel. The'flange 5iis placed around the upper end of the stack as shown with the shoulder resting upon the top of the stack. In thecenter andabove the member 4 is an inverted conicalshaped member 7 which is held in the position shown by spacers 8. It will be noted that the gases passing upward outof the stack will strike, the cone and the liquids such as oil therein :will be deposited upon the heated surface of the cone and will burn. At the upper end of the cone is a circular horizontal flange 9'having a continu ous recess 10 in the outer edge in which the baflies 11 and 12 are freely held. A guard 13 is placed upon the top of the flange 9 and held by bolts 14 as. shown in Figure 1; however, it will be understood that this mem-' ber may be held in place by any other suitable means. Shims may be placed between the guard and the flange 9, as shown-in Figure 2 so that some or all ofthem may be removed to take up wear of the hubs "of the The guard is formed by a down wardly inclinedflange 15 which extends outward as shown in Figure 2. The member 13 is also provided with a continuous recess as indicated by the numeral 16 and it will be ob- 9 served that the recess 16 corresponds with the recess 10, and hubs which are formed at the inner ends of the baflles 11 and 12 are freely mounted in the space formed between these recesses. r

The baffles 11 and 1 2 are formed as shown in Figures 3 to 6 inclusive and it will be noted that their upper surfaces are V shaped so that the lower surface of the upper baflle will rest upon a point or points and will not contact with a fiat surface.

The lower baffles 12 are made as shown in Figure 6 with a flat lower surface and the upper surface downwardly inclined from a central point 17 thereby forming comparatively thin edges 18 at the sides. The edges are inclined inward from the points 19 and the upper portion is comparatively narrow as shown. At the upper endof the upper portion is a hub 20 which, as hereinbefore stated, is freely mounted in the space formed between the recesses 10 and 16, and at the lower end of the bafiie is a ridge 21 the size of which may be changed to adjust'the weight at the outer end of the battles which will make it pos sible to regulate the movement of the baffles as the pressure varies and also makes it'possible to relieve the back pressure of the engine. The upper and smaller baffle 11 is also formed with a flat lower surface and inclined upper surfaces sloping upward from comparatively thin edges to a ridge at the center and this baflle is also provided with a hub at the upper'end which is indicated by the numeral 22. These baflles may be made of any suitable material,-or of any other suitable design and arranged in any other suitable manner. I

The chamber 3 is formed with a base which may be attached to the stack in any suitable the member 27 is a conical shaped member 29 asshown. It will be noted that as the hot gases pass upward out of the stack 2 they will strike the cone- 7 which will spread them outward and as they pass into the central part of the chamber 3 they will expand and then as they pass upward through the comparatively small opening 26 they will contract and this expansion and contraction will assist materially in eliminating the noise. I 7

It will be understood that changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. One of which changesmay be in the general design or arrangement of the sparkarresting apparatus or the use of battles of a different use the device may be placed upon the stack as shown and described and it will be noted that with the baiiies in the downward or closed position there will be small openings between the edges of the lower baffles and as the force of the exhaust gases or any gases passing upward through the stack increases it will raise the batfles and as it decreases the baffles will lower. In operation these baffles will move slowly upward and downward and apparently pulsate with a breathing motion. It will be observed that sparks passing upward through the stack will come into contact with the baiiles and be extinguished or broken up, and it will also be noted that by splitting up the gas stream as the gas findslits way to the atmosphere thru the small openings or slits between the bafiles or blades a silencing effect will be produced. The noise vibrations -will be interfered with and eliminated due to the breaking up of the gas stream as it passes thru this pulsating screen.

Having thus fully described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure b Letters Patent, is 1. In a spark arresting and silencing device of the character described, a stack, a funnel shaped member at the top of the stack, an inverted cone above and spaced apart from the said funnel shaped member, a plurality of baflles pivotally mounted in the periphery of the said conical shaped member and overlappin the edge of the said funnel, means for limiting the upward move ment of the said baflles, a cylindrical cham ber surrounding the said baii'les, said cylindrical chamber having a comparatively small opening at the upper 7 end and a conical shaped baflie in the upper end of the chamber and cooperating with said opening.

2. In a spark arresting apparatus, a conical shaped casing, an outwardly extending passage having a continuous opening extending around the periphery of the said casing, and

a plurality of moving baflle plates pivotally mounted to extend across the outer end of the said opening.

3. In a spark arresting apparatus, a stack,

a funnel shaped casing at the upper end of the'stack, a conical shaped casingspaced apart and above the said funnel shaped Y casing, a plurality .of movablebafiies pivotally mounted in the outer edge of the said conical casing and extending across the opening between the two casings .and means for limiting the upward movement of the said baffle. 7

4. In a spark arresting apparatus; a stack, a funnel shaped casing at the upper end of the stack, a conical shaped casing spaced apart and above the said funnel shaped casing, a plurality of movable baflles pivotally mounted in the outer edge of the said conical casing and extending across the opening between the two casings, means for limiting the upward movement of the said baflles, and a chamber surrounding the said apparatus with a comparatively small opening at the upper end.

5. In a spark arresting apparatus, an outwardly inclined flange, a superimposed inverted conical shaped member above the said flange, said flange and member having a continuous opening between them and at the periphery thereof, a plurality of battle plates pivotally mounted in the said superimposed member and extending across the said opening and resting upon the said flange, means for limiting the upward movement of the said baflies, and means for taking up the wear of the said balfles at the point at which they are mounted.

6. In a spark arresting apparatus, an outwardly inclined flange, a superimposed inverted conical shaped member above the said flange, said flange and member having a continuous substantially horizontal opening between them and at the periphery thereof, a plurality of baflie plates pivotally mounted in the said superimposed member and extending across the said opening and resting upon the said flange and a plurality of superimposed pi'votally mounted baflie plates above and resting upon said former baffle plates and positioned to partially cover the cracks be tween them.

7. In a spark arresting apparatus, a casing, with a gradually enlarging opening'at the upper end, a superimposed casing above the said former casing with an inverted conical shaped portion extending downward into said former casing, said casings having a continuous opening between them at the periphery thereof, a plurality of baflle plates, means for pivotally mounting the said baffle plates in the said superimposed casing in substantially a horizontal position with the said baffle plates held against the outer edge of said former casing by gravity, and means for limiting the upward movement of the said battle plates, said plates positioned to extend across the opening between the said casings and rest upon the former casing, and said plates forming a pulsating screen automatically operated by the varying pressures of gases passing between the said casings.

8. In a device of the character described, an inner member, an outer member positioned to provide a continuous substantially horizontal opening between the said members, and a plurality of overlapping bafile plates piv otally mounted in the inner member and rest ing upon the outer member, saidbaflie plates held downward upon the outer edge of said outer member by gravity forming a pulsating screen which automatically opens and closes as the pressures ofa fluid passlng be tween the members changes.

9. A pulsating screencomprising an inner i baflle plates, superimposed above said former bafiie plates and positioned to partially cover the cracks between said former battle plates, the width of said former baflle'plates being comparatively small and the openings be tween them comparatively narrow to prevent sparks or the like passing therethrough.

10. In combination, a vertical pipe, an inverted conical shaped member located slightly above the upper termination of the said pipe, the upper end of said pipe having an outwardly inclined continuous flange, and a plurality of baflies forming a pulsating screen hinged to the said inverted conical shaped member and resting upon the outer edge of the said flange.

11. In combination with a vertical exhaust pipe, a complete obstruction positioned slightly above the upper termination of the pipe and of a somewhat larger size than the pipe, and a continuous screen formed of a plurality of comparatively small members extending from the outer edge of said ohstructing member and resting upon an outwardly flared extension of said pipe, said screen positioned in an inclined position with the members held downward by gravity and raised with a breathing motion by the rise in the varying pressures of the gases of the stack.

12. In a spark arrester and silencer, in com bination, a stack with an upwardly inclined outwardly flared flange, a superimposed casing above said stack and spaced above said stack flange closing the central portion of the stack and providing a continuous peripheral opening between the outer edge of said flange and casing, and a closure for said'opening adapted to be held and to move downward by gravity and adapted to be raised by varying pressures of gases in the stack, said closure providing a plurality of narrow escape passagesfor the gases as it is raised thereby preventing sparks in the gases passing therethrough and also splitting up the gas stream and destroying noise vibrations in said gases.

13. In a spark arrester and silencer, in combination, a stack with an outwardly extending flange, a casing superimposed above said stack providing a continuous peripheral opening at the outer edge of said flange with the central part above the stack closed, and a closure for said opening adapted to be opened'by increasing pressures 'of gases in said stack and eliminating noise from said gases by dividing same into thin streams as it passes thru narrow openings formedin 5 said closure as it opens.

In testimony whereof he aflixes his signature.

ARTHUR S. WHITEHEAD. 

